Cheat meal or cheat day

Glittzy321

So on Friday I’m planning to have a cheat meal. I’m still gonna be loging in everything and gonna try to stay in my weight loss calorie goal. Some say u should eat at ur maintenance or go over bit which means to have a cheat day. But I dnt want to do that cause I will feel bad next day. So my question is: is it ok to have a cheat meal and stay within your cals and not have a CHEAT DAY?

SisterSueGetsFit

Whatever you do to stay in the range you want to be in is okay. I find an entire "cheat day" can completely blow my deficit for the week. A "cheat meal" isn't really cheating if you log the calories. It's important to indulge once and a while (in my opinion) to stay sane.

Dreamwa1ker

I do usually do a cheat meal, rather than a whole day of cheating, but I may still be at maintenance or a bit above at the end of that day. The dangerous thing about having a cheat meal but then trying too hard to stay at your normal deficit is that by the time you get to that cheat meal (if it's dinner for example) you may be so hungry from not eating enough earlier in the day you actually over-eat more on your cheat than you intended, or not be satisfied. However, I've found for myself, if I do a "cheat meal" at lunch instead, if that's super filling and satiating I may still end up under calories at the end of the day because I may just have a salad for dinner since I'm not all that hungry. If I'm going to have dinner be my cheat meal, I try to eat a typical lunch just like the rest of the week that I know will be fairly filling (e.g. high fiber etc) but not too bad on calories. That means I'm not starving when I get to cheat dinner and less likely to overeat. But you need to know your body and how you will react to figure out which way works best for you. You might have to try one way one week, and if that works out poorly change tactics the next week.

Panini911

if you are within your calorie deficit goal for the day (or week) how is that a cheat meal? I do this all the time especially on weekends when i don't need snacks i'll fit in a bigger meal which may be pizza or including something i can't normally fit on a weekday with dinner. (beer, extra bread..)

I don't consider any of this cheating. no more than i consider fitting in desserts at lunch and dinner "cheating". or my snacks. it's all calculated to be withing my selected calorie deficit goal.

to me a cheat meal means eating a bit above deficit calories (maybe up to maintenance).

TavistockToad

Glittzy321 wrote: »

So on Friday I’m planning to have a cheat meal. I’m still gonna be loging in everything and gonna try to stay in my weight loss calorie goal. Some say u should eat at ur maintenance or go over bit which means to have a cheat day. But I dnt want to do that cause I will feel bad next day. So my question is: is it ok to have a cheat meal and stay within your cals and not have a CHEAT DAY?

if you're eating within your daily calorie goal, in what way is it a 'cheat'?

sardelsa

How are you defining cheat in this case, something you don't normally eat? Botching your macros? If you are within your calories overall and remain in a deficit, you will still lose weight even if you eat out.

I save up calories from the week and eat more on weekends, so around maintenance. I don't really call it cheating since I plan for it.

MikePTY

If it's within your goals, you're not "cheating" anything. I eat whatever food I want that's within my goals. Cheeseburgers, sushi, pizza, etc. I don't consider that "cheating". It's also important to remember that your calorie goal is really more like a goal range. It's not something you should be under every single day. It's okay and normal to be over by a couple of hundred cals on some days, especially if you are under other days. So for what you are describing, I don't think there's any cheating involved. Eat what makes you happy

janejellyroll

A day where you stay within your calorie goal is just a "day."

kshama2001

Just popping in to correct the misconception that cheat meals or days are essential to the weight loss process. They aren't.

They may feel necessary if someone is under-eating, and this consists of a lot of bland, boring "diet foods", but that is unneeded as well.

SCoil123

I don't cheat. I eat whatever I want so there is no need. And as long as my weekly averages stay in place I don't worry about the day to day. All I really care about is weekly calorie goals and hitting adequate protein for proper muscle repair/growth.

Pickle107

I've gone over by a few hundred calories if a nice pudding's been made (maybe once or so a week) then once a month I need a TOM sugar fest but I managed to keep it to a a chocolate bar and a small slice of birthday cake. Took me about 400 cals over but, Lordy, was it mentally just what I needed!

Maxxitt

I don't use the term "cheat meal" because of its connotations -- who's being "cheated" exactly? But I whole-heartedly support taking a break every now and then. For me, it's sometimes a single meal, usually out, where I still choose a healthful option but don't particularly worry about whether the vegetables are cooked with butter rather than steamed. (Yeah, I know, living the wild life!) And I will take larger breaks where I eat at whatever my maintenance is for a day or two, or for a planned week and sometimes for a few months when I am still a bit above my goal. After losing about 45-50# to get to a healthy weight, I've been up and down in a range of 10-12 # over the last several years and have figured out what works for me. It has to do with being flexible and not defining my happiness via scale weight. Over time, it's been practice for sustainable living. I don't think of "dieting" as a way of life.

dolliesdaughter

I eat one item per week that is not in my usual diet. No, cheating for me, I do log it.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

What part of that do you consider "cheating?"

AnnPT77

It's all just food, not a superhero melodrama with forces of "good" against "evil". "Cheating" is the stuff of drama.

* If, over a period of time, you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
* If, over a period of time, you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
* If, over a period of time, you exactly match the calories you eat and the calories you burn, your weight will stay the same.

. . . with a small fudge factor in there for water weight fluctuations, and digestive contents in transit.

So, over a period of time, eat fewer calories than you burn. They can be calories of any food, it doesn't matter what. You'll lose weight.

Longer term, nutrition is important, that's where it matters which foods you eat to get your calories. Even there, what matters is overall nutrition from everything you eat, not some single food. Leaving aside things that are poisonous or to which you're allergic, there are no virtuous or sinful foods, just foods that fill out gaps in what you've eaten so far, to get good nutrition . . . or don't.

Repeating: It's not a drama. It's just food. Eat the right amount, over time, most of it nutritious, in a reasonable balance. You'll be fine. It's no more complicated than that.

Best wishes!

Danp

I never have cheat days or cheat meals. Never.

Can't cheat if there are no arbitrary rules to adhere too.